Gizeh Shriners of British Columbia & Yukon

The Shriners - A brotherhood of men... dedicated to fun and fellowship...

but with a serious purpose.

At Accent Inns, we are all about fun but also and most importantly believe in taking care of our friends, neighbours and children.

The Shriners of BC and Yukon embody these important tenants and we are proud to support them. Accent Inns works with the Shriners in many ways including welcoming families who are riding the Care Cruiser on their way to free medical care.

The next time you see a Shrine Clown, a man marching wearing a red fez or selling tickets for a car, we encourage you to join Accent Inns in helping support their great effort.

History of the Shriners of British Columbia & Yukon:

Freemasons operate many of the world's greatest charitable organizations. The best known is the Shriners with their circuses, their colorful parades and their work on behalf of physically challenged children.

Gizeh Shriners of British Columbia & Yukon was founded on June 11, 1902, in Victoria. The name Gizeh was chosen in accordance with the Shrine rule that "every Temple shall select an Arabic or Egyptian name." It was an appropriate choice since no other Shrine organization had a name beginning with the letter "G", a letter that has important significance in Freemasonry. Gizeh is one of the most ancient and famous Egyptian pyramids.

In 1942, Gizeh Center was moved from Victoria to Vancouver. On November 23, 1969, after much ceremony, Gizeh Shrine Center moved into its new headquarters at the present location in Burnaby, BC.

Since the early 1930s, Gizeh Shrine has sponsored the popular circuses, which continue today. Children's Hospital and various other Regional Hospitals have greatly benefited from the financial assistance of the Gizeh Shriners of British Columbia & Yukon. The Shrine has always been involved in charitable endeavors.

However, in the early 1920s, the membership decided to develop and support an official philanthropy by establishing hospitals for physically challenged children. In the early 1960s, the Shrine of North America established another first by building the three Shrine Burn Institutes, the first hospitals dedicated to treating children with severe burns. The Shrine now operates 19 orthopedic hospitals and three burn institutes for physically challenged and burned children to receive free, specialized medical treatment until they reach the age of 18. Over $1.7 million per day is required to operate these hospitals.

Since 1922, Shriners have substantially improved the quality of life for nearly 400,000 physically challenged and burned children. Millions more have benefited as recipients of treatments and techniques at Shriners' hospitals.

The free medical care given the children is substantially funded through the Shriners Hospitals for Children Endowment Fund, which is maintained through gifts, bequests and contributions. Additional income for Shriners hospitals is provided by an annual hospital assessment paid by every Shriner, as well as designated charitable fundraising events.